Baby-tender.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

' R; L. RIGHARDSON.

BABY TBNDER.

I APPLIGJflION FILED MAR; 31, 1906.

INVE NTOR:

WITNESSES; 8

cm, WASHINGTON, b. c. 8

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ROSELL L. RICHARDSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BABY-TENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RosELL L. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the, borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baby- Tenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to baby walkers or tenders, and aims to provide certain im provements therein.

According to the preferred form of my invention I provide a baby tender having a circular guard or hoop near its base, and a supplemental roller mounted upon said 1100p above the floor, preferably at the front of the tender, which roller is adapted to permit the device to pass over thresholds and like obstacles without overturning. Preferably such hoop is formed of stiff spring Wire, and is reinforced at the front of the tender so as to better withstand the strains to which such portion is subjected.

My invention provides other features of improvement which will be hereinafter re ferred to.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is an enlar ed under side view of the front of the tender. Fig. 4 is a detailview taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 3 showing the mode of connection of the hoop. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section of the supplemental roller shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate any suitable form of baby tender. That shown comprises a body ring B supported by upright rungs C C which have their lower ends fitted in base rungs D D, the latter having their ends connected by a suitable hoop or guard E, as is usual. The tender is provided with the usual spring seat F, and is mounted to roll 011 rollers or casters G G connected to the opposite ends of the base rungs D D. In the use of baby tenders of this general description, it has been found in practice that when the tender is propelled rapidly by the baby it is liable to be overturned when it strikes the threshold of a door or like obstacle.

According to my invention I prevent the overturning of the tender by providing a supplemental roller I-I preferably at the front of the device, such roller being preferably mounted above the bottom of the tender so Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 31, 1906.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Serial No. 309,031.

that it will pass over thresholds without difficulty. The roller H is preferably a plain roller, and is preferably mounted directly upon the hoop E, the latter usually extending sufficiently above the bottom of the tender to bring the roller into the correct position.

In use the roller passes over the threshold or other obstacle, and if the casters are caught by the threshold, and the tender tilts forwardly, the roller rolls along the threshold or the floor beyond it and prevents a positive engagement of the hoop and floor, and thus avoids any liability of the over turning of the device. I have found in practice that the roller will have this action even with thick carpets or other surfaces which would engage the front portion of the hoop with sufficient friction to almost certainly overturn the tender if tilted sufficiently to pring the hoop into contact with such surace.

According to my invention I provide a novel form of hoop E. Heretofore it has been customaryto makethe hoop of awooden strip of suitable thickness bent to circular form and having its ends united with a lap joint. This form of hoop has been Weak at its joint, and has-been difficult to connect With the base rungs D D. As in practice devices of this character must be shipped in a knocked-down condition and set up by the consignee, this difficulty of attachment has been a peculiar detriment. According to my invention I overcome these disadvantages, and in addition provide a hoop or guard which is reinforced at the front of the tender, at which point it is subjected to the most severe shocks in use.

The form of hoop I prefer to employ is illustrated in the drawings, and consists of a metal wire or rod E made of springy steel or other suitable material, and connected to the ends of the base rungs D D in any approved manner. I prefer, however, the form of connection shown, which consists of a loop a formed in the body of the hoop at the ends 'of each of the rungs D D, such loops being bent downwardly and then horizontally until they lie along the under faces of the rungs, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This construction permits me to apply the hoop to the tender without the use of special tools, it being only necessary to form the loop a. so that it surrounds the caster socket b, as shown at the left in Fig. 3 by this means I am enabled to utilize the casters as the sole or principal means of connecting the hoop to the rungs, it being only necessary to insert the casters into the sockets to assemble the parts. Staples 0 (Fig. 4) may, however, be used if desired. In this construction I preferably reinforce the hoop at the front of the tender, this being accomplishedby extending the ends of the wire past each other toa point near the ends of the front rung D, and inserting such ends in sockets formed on the under side of such rung. The use of a hoop of this construction also permits me to mount the roller H directly upon the hoop, the ends of the wire forming the latter being preferably passed through the roller at their intersection, as best shown in Fig. 5, so that the two thicknesses of wire constitute the axle about which such roller rotates. Preferably the wires are bent inwardly at at so that the outer face of the roller does not extend beyond the hoop or guard. This construction is desirable in that it prevents the roller from striking against articles of furniture or the like; it also holds the roller in position upon the hoop, preventing any movement thereof along the latter. By reinforcing the front portion of the hoop I'also obtain an additional stiffness in a vertical direction, which is of special importance when the tender is tilted over so that the hoop comes into con tact with the floor.

1 preferably provide the hoop E, or such portion of it as. comes in contact with the furniture or walls, witha rubber covering f, as

shown in Figs. 8 and 5.

Such covering may be applied in any well known manner, preferably before the wire is bent to the required shape. 'Inthis case the covering can be cut away at the loops (1 and at any other points where its resence is not desirable.

While have described in detail the pre ferred'form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as various changes can be made therein without dep arting from my invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A baby tenderhaving base rungs at its bottom, a wire hoop crossing the outer portions of theends of said rungs,-andhaving loops bent first downwardly and then horizontally to pass beneath the rungs, and cast ers passing through said loops and entering the under side of the rungs.

2. A baby tender having a Wire hoop near its bottom, and a roller on said hoop, said hoop having'two wires passing through such roller each of which is connected at two points to the body of such tender.

3. Ababy tender having a front base rung,

a Wire hoop having its body portion con.

nected to said rung and its ends extending past each other and connected to said rung, and a roller mounted on said hoop at the intersection of such ends.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed v my-name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROSELL L. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

EUGENE V. MYERs, FRED WHITE. 

